Nightmares
by Hidden-Writer96
Summary: They've only just moved in together and she knows nothing of his bad dreams. How will she react when she does eventually find out?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** Nothing of this is mine, more's the pity! :)

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Anna couldn't sleep. It wasn't for lack of trying, she just couldn't get comfortable. She had been curled up next to John, her head on his chest and his arm around her but she had moved when she realsied she wasn't drifting off to sleep any time soon so as not to wake him. Now she was sat on the edge of the bed wondering weather it was worth going downstairs. Deciding it couldn't do any harm she carfully stood up and made her way to the door quietly so as not to wake John. The landing was dark since there was no light on it and Anna had to hold on to the handrail as she slowly made her way down into the living room where she turned on the light. It wasn't very bright and the place still felt dark but it was enough for her to see the sofa and sit down on it. It was cold and she was only wearing a nightgown so she pulled the blanket that was over the sofa around her shoulders and lay back.

It had been a week since her and John had moved into the cottage and she hadn't had a good nights sleep since. She always ended up on the sofa were she was normally found by John at some early hour in the morning. She knew she couldn't keep this up much longer, she had never felt so tired at work before, even when John had been in prision, and she didn't want her work to suffer. As she pulled the blanker closer around her she felt her eyes dropping and was glad to be finally drifting off to sleep.

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"Anna? Anna, it's time to get dressed for work," she heard John talking, his hand on her shoulder but she just turned over and was surprised to feel that the bed had gotten smaller. Opening her eyes she recognised her own living room and then remembered that she had came downstairs last night, again.

"Morning," she muttered as he sat down next to her and she sat up in a more comfortable postion. He handed her a cup of tea and she smiled before hurrying to drink it down. John was already dressed and she didn't want to make them late, no matter how much she would have liked to go straight back to sleep.

"Could you not sleep last night?" He asked and she shook her head before handing him back the cup and standing up.

"I don't know why, I just never seem to settle in the bed," she told him before making her way up the stairs and getting dressed for work. She hated being up early and would have like a lie in once or twice but at least she enjoyed her job. She loved helping Lady Mary and she couldn't imagine being anywere else. She had been in service for the better part of her life, almost 19 years and she didn't know anythng else. It didn't take her too long to get ready and go back down the stairs to see John waiting for her at the bottom, her coat and hat in his hands.

"Here you go love, let's get going shall we?" He asked as he slipped her coat on and she placed the hat on her head. It was chilly outisde and Anna moved closer to John to try and keep warm. The walk wasn't too long, it normally took them about half an hour, but it was icy this morning and they moved slower then normal so they wouldn't slip.

"Why do you think you can't settle?" John asked, breaking the silence between them.

"I don't know, I think I'm just going to have to get used to the place. I haven't lived anywere except the girls side since I was 16," she told him and he nodded, not commenting on it. A few minutes passed and Anna looked up, surprised to see him frowning. "What?" He looked down to see her watching him and he managed a smile before answering her question.

"If you're not comfortable in the cottage we can always move back, I'm sure Mr Carson and Mrs Hughes wont mind," he told her and she stopped walking, causing him to slip a little on the icy path as her arm pulled him back.

"Why would I want to move back? Do you?" She asked, confused as to why he would think she wanted to move out of the cottage.

"Of course I don't but if you can't sleep then you don't have to stay there," he tried to explain and she sighed before putting her arm back through his and started to walk again.

"I don't want to move out, I like it there, our home. I'm sure I'll be fine in a few days, I couldn't sleep at Downton when I first started now it's impossible to get me up," she laughed and he smiled before stopping them and pulling her closer to him. "We'll be late," she wishpered, half heartedly before his hand reached up to cup the side of her face and he leant down as there lips met, here hands going around his neck.

"A few minutes wont matter," he smiled before she pulled away and they started back on there walk to Downton.

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**A/N: **Hey there, so my first Downton Abbey fic, what did you think? This isn't very long, just a 2 part fic and I'll post the other one up either tomorrow or Monday!


	2. Chapter 2

She was finally finished; Lady Mary had stayed up longer than normal resulting in Anna having to stay for longer to see to Lady Mary. She had told John to go home, she would go when she was finished but he wouldn't go, he said he wouldn't leave her to walk in the dark on his own.

"I'm finished now Mr Bates, are you ready to go?" She asked as she walked in to the servant's quarters to see him sat down at the table by himself. At the sound of her footsteps he turned towards her and smiled before getting to his feet.

"I'm ready love," he told her before holding out his hand for her to take and they set off out the back door and back towards there cottage. It was gone ten and Anna was almost asleep on her feet. She had barely sat down all day, Lady Mary had been planning a trip down to London with Mr Matthew and she had been helping to sort out all of Lady Mary's clothes, and she had a lot.

"Thank you for waiting," she told him as the darkness surrounded them and she moved closer to him. She wasn't scared of the dark; she just didn't like the idea of being out in it by herself which is why she hadn't argued too much when she had told him to go home.

"You don't need to thank me, I wouldn't have let you walk home on your own in the dark," he smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulder as they neared the cottage.

"I'm just going to head straight to bed, I'm tired," she told him as they entered the living room of the cottage.

"Ok love, I'll be up shortly. I'm just going to warm the place up a bit first," he pulled her close for a kiss before she sighed and laid her head on his chest and he kissed the top of her head. "Are you ok?" He asked, worry in his eyes but she pulled back and nodded.

"I'm fine, just tired. I'll see you shortly," she told him before dragging herself upstairs. By the time John came upstairs she was already in bed, half asleep. Her eyes were closed but she felt him climb into bed and she turned over to look at him.

"Night love," he smiled, kissing the top of her head before she laid her head on his chest, her arm draped over him and his arm fell around her shoulder. She was asleep before he was.

Shouts filled the room forcing Anna's eyes open as she scrambled up and tried to look around the dark room to see what was making the noise. Terror turned into panic as she realised it was coming from John and she reached over to try and wake him up. He was covered in sweat, shaking and thrashing around the bed and wasn't responding to her trying to wake him up.

"John, John you need to wake up!" She called out and she seemed to have got through to him as his eyes flew open and he struggled to sit up, he had got himself tangled in the sheets.

"No, no, just go!" He almost shouted, shaking his whole body violently, Anna's hand falling off his shoulder before he looked around and stopped shouting, panting heavily. He was still shaking and flinched as Anna tried once again to put her hand on his shoulder. His eyes were wet and he wiped it away before moving the sheet off him and then he looked at Anna.

"What happened?" She asked quietly as he seemed to calm down and his breathing became more controlled, more even.

"A nightmare, I'm sorry love, I didn't mean to wake you, to scare you" he whispered his hand reaching out for her. She reached out and pulled him into a hug, he had calmed down some, only his breathing gave anything way but she was shaking a little.

"It's okay, don't apologise. Are you okay?" She asked and he pulled back a little but neither of them moved their arms from around each other. He only nodded and she breathed out before yawning and lying back down. He stayed sat up and she watched him before speaking. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No thanks love, are you okay though?" He asked her, turning around to look at her lying down.

"I'm fine, why don't you lie back down?" She asked and he did, one arm going around her waist and she brought hers up to stroke his face. "How often do these happen?" She asked and he tried to avert her gaze but she gently moved his head back to look at him.

"I don't know they just sort of...happen. I'm sorry," he added on the end and she shook her head.

"Why do you need to apologise? It's not your fault," she told him and he didn't reply. "Ssh, we've still got a few hours left to sleep," she told him and as she turned around he pulled her closer so her back was next to him. He kissed the top of her head as her hands found his on top of her stomach.

"Night my sweet," he whispered and it wasn't long before they were both asleep, nothing else disturbing them that night.

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**A/N:** Hey there, so what did you think? I'm a little unsure of it, I think it's a little mellow!


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